Soil microbial activity and free-living nematode community in the upper soil layer of the anticline erosional cirque,Makhtesh Ramon,Israel

The physical–chemical peculiarity of soil rock formations is one of the leading factors determining diversity and abundance of soil biota. The main aim of the present research was to study soil microbial and free-living nematode abundance and diversity on different soil rock formations (basalt, sandstone, limestone, granite and gypsum) of the Makhtesh Ramon erosional cirque. The obtained results showed the strong effect of soil features of different soil formations on microbial biomass and respiration as well as on the soil free-living nematode communities and its trophic and species composition. The Sorenson-Czenkanowski similarity index indicated significant differences between soil properties as well as between soil biota in observed soil formations. The qCO₂, which is known to increase according to the level of environmental stress, reached maximal values in the sandstone soil formation. The values of ecological indices such as Simpson's dominance index, maturity index and modification and species richness pointed to a specific ecological condition in the studied soil formations dependent on low content of an essential soil matter as soil moisture, organic matter and cations.     

温室不同管理模式对土壤微生物生物量碳和原生动物丰度的影响

为了解温室环境下不同的农业管理模式对土壤微生物生物量碳和原生动物的影响,以中国农业大学曲周日光温室长期定位试验为研究对象,于2012年8—12月进行了5次取样,测定了有机、无公害和常规管理模式下的土壤真菌、细菌生物量碳和原生动物丰度。结果表明:温室环境土壤以细菌分解途径占优势;原生动物中鞭毛虫占绝对优势。管理模式对土壤真菌生物量碳、细菌生物量碳、微生物生物量总碳、原生动物各类群(鞭毛虫、纤毛虫和肉足虫)丰度及总数均有显著影响,但对真菌/细菌比率、鞭毛虫和肉足虫的相对丰度没有显著影响。细菌、真菌和微生物生物量碳在不同管理模式间总体呈现相同的规律,即有机模式无公害模式常规模式;对于原生动物,不同类群呈现出复杂的动态变化规律,总体上有机模式下原生动物数量高于无公害和常规模式的。管理模式对微生物生物量碳和原生动物的影响主要体现在生物量上,而对功能群结构的影响较小。     

Arable weeds,cover crops,and tillage drive soil microbial community composition in organic cropping systems

Cover crops have traditionally been used to reduce soil erosion and build soil quality, but more recently cover crops are being used as an effective tool in organic weed management. Many studies have demonstrated microbial community response to individual cover crop species, but the effects of mixed species cover crop communities have received less attention. Moreover, the relationship between arable weeds and soil microbial communities is not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the relative influence of cover crop diversity, early-season weed communities, and tillage on soil microbial community structure in an organic cropping system through the extraction of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). A field experiment was conducted between 2009 and 2011 near Mead, NE where spring-sown mixtures of zero (control), two, and eight cover crop species were included in a sunflower–soybean–corn crop rotation. A mixture of four weed species was planted in all experimental units (excluding the no-cover control), and also included as an individual treatment. Cover crops and weeds were planted in late-March, then terminated in late-May using a field disk or sweep plow undercutter, and main crops were planted within one week of termination. Three (2009) or four (2010–11) soil cores were taken to a depth of 20 cm in all experimental units at 45, 32, and 25 days following cover crop termination in 2009, 2010, and 2011, respectively. Total FAMEs pooled across 2009 and 2010 were greatest in the two species mixture–undercutter treatment combination (140.8 ± 3.9 nmol g⁻¹) followed by the eight species mixture–undercutter treatment combination (132.4 ± 3.9 nmol g⁻¹). Abundance of five (2009 and 2010) and seventeen (2011) FAME biomarkers was reduced in the weedy treatment relative to both cover-cropped treatments and the no-cover control. In 2009 and 2010, termination with the undercutter reduced abundance of most actinomycete biomarkers while termination with the field disk reduced abundance of C18:1(cis11) and iC16:0. Canonical discriminant analysis of the microbial community successfully segregated most cover crop mixture by termination method treatment combinations in 2009 and 2010. Microbial communities were most strongly influenced by the presence and type of early-spring plant communities, as weeds exerted a strong negative influence on abundance of many key microbial biomarkers, including the AMF markers C16:1(cis11) and C18:1(cis11). Weeds may alter soil microbial community structure as a means of increasing competitive success in arable soils, but this relationship requires further investigation.     

Effects of seasonal grazing and precipitation regime on the soil macroinvertebrates of a Mediterranean old-field

Soil macroinvertebrate communities (SMC) are well known to influence major ecosystem processes, but relatively few investigations have examined the mechanisms and factors involved in SMC regulation. We conducted a factorial experiment with combinations of seasonal grazing by sheep and irrigation (simulating different precipitation regimes) to assess their effects on the SMC of a semiarid Mediterranean old-field. We also analyzed effects on plant species richness, total aboveground biomass, and litter. The data were collected in autumn and spring, the two favorable seasons for SMC and primary production in the region, and season was included as an additional random factor. Main results were: 1) Ungrazed plots accumulated more aboveground plant biomass and litter during spring, providing extra food for soil biota. However, grazing during autumn or spring did not affect SMC characteristics. 2) Reduction of inter-annual precipitation variability in autumn and spring increased the abundance of two decomposer taxa: Oligochaeta and Diplopoda. Additionally, if summer drought was reduced, plant species richness, litter and the abundance of Isopoda were increased. 3) Oligochaeta and Diplopoda increase their abundance in spring, particularly, the most abundant taxon (Oligochaeta). We conclude that inter- and intra-annual variability in precipitation is a key environmental factor for the decomposer soil fauna in Mediterranean ecosystems, modifying the physical characteristics of the soils (humidity, hardness, etc.), as well as affecting the amount or characteristics of plant biomass or litter. The respiration system of the macroinvertebrates (cutaneous, tracheal or branquial) and the capacity to migrate vertically into the soil may determine the decomposers' responses to precipitation.     

Influence of local illumination and plant composition on the spatial and seasonal distribution of litter-dwelling arthropods in a tropical rainforest

Using pitfall traps, we evaluated the spatial and seasonal variance in arthropod abundance, species richness, higher taxonomic and species composition, and guild structure within the ground litter of seven sites in a relatively undisturbed rainforest in Panama. We examined each of these five arthropod-dependent variables at two spatial scales (a few meters and a few hundred meters) and one temporal scale (a few months encompassing dry and wet periods), against environmental variables including local illumination and plant composition. Trap catches (9458 arthropods collected during 630 trap-days) were high compared to similar studies in temperate forests. We observed spatial and seasonal differences in abundance, species richness and composition of litter-dwelling arthropods. Often these differences appeared weakly related to geographical coordinates. They reflected forest structure (basal area) and local plant composition, and less so illumination patterns or seasonal changes in radiation. Seasonal variance was high and may relate to surrogate variables accounting for seasonal changes in litter moisture. The composition of higher taxa and species was often predicted by different independent variables at the three scales studied. Guild structure was difficult to predict. Our study lead us to expect that litter-dwelling arthropods may be more seasonal than soil microarthropods in tropical rainforests; and that tropical litter-dwelling arthropods may also be more spatially variable and seasonal than their temperate counterparts. We also recommend that conservation studies using pitfall traps in tropical rainforests should focus on: (1) taxonomic resolution to understand the functional complexity of soil organisms; (2) spatial replication to address subtle changes in plant composition throughout the study area; and (3) seasonal replicates to be commensurate with seasonal changes in litter moisture.     

Soil biological quality after 36 years of ley-arable cropping,permanent grassland and permanent arable cropping

Insight is needed into how management influences soil biota when sustainable grassland systems are developed. A crop rotation of grass and maize can be sustainable in terms of efficient nutrient use. However, there is lack of information on the effect of such a crop rotation on soil biological quality. Earthworms, nematodes, bacteria and fungi were sampled over three years in a 36 years old experiment. Permanent arable land was compared with permanent grassland and with a ley-arable crop rotation. In the rotation, a period of three years of grassland (temporary grassland) was followed by a period of three years of arable land (temporary arable land) and vice versa. In the first year of arable cropping in the rotation, the number of earthworms was already low and not different from continuous cropping. In the three-year grass ley, the abundance of earthworms returned to the level of permanent grassland in the second year. However, the restoration of earthworm biomass took a minimum of three years. Furthermore, the anecic species did not recover the dominance they had in the permanent grassland. The numbers of herbivorous and microbivorous nematodes in the ley-crop rotation reached similar levels to those in the permanent treatments within one to two years. Although the same holds for the nematode genera composition, the Maturity Index and the proportion of omnivorous nematodes in the temporary treatments remained significantly lower than in their permanent counterparts. Differences in recovery were also found among microbial parameters. In the temporary treatments, bacterial growth rate and the capacity to degrade a suite of substrates recovered in the second year. However, the Community-Level Physiological Profiles in the permanent grassland remained different from the other treatments. Our results suggest that many functions of soil biota that are well established in permanent grassland, are restored in a ley-arable crop rotation. However, due to a reduction in certain species, specific functions of these soil biota could be reduced or lost. The ley-arable crop rotations were intermediate to permanent grassland and continuous arable land in terms of functioning of soil biota (e.g., N-mineralization). In terms of the functional aspects of the soil biota, permanent grassland might be preferable wherever possible. For maize cultivation, a ley-arable crop rotation is preferable to continuous arable land. However, a ley-arable crop rotation is only preferable to continuous arable cropping if it is not practised at the expense of permanent grassland at farm level.     

上海市规模经营农场的土壤养分与水稻产量空间变异特征

运用经典统计和地统计学结合的研究方法，探讨了规模化经营农场田块内的作物产量及土壤有效养分含量等空间变异特征。结果表明，土壤pH有较小变异和较强的空间结构性。作物产量变异较小而且是随机因素引起的没有明显空间结构性，和土壤养分含量及pH值等属性也没有明显的相关。有效磷、有效硫也表现为纯块金效应，全部变异由随机因素引起。其它观测项目均有不同程度的空间自相关，有效养分含量之间也有较为显著的相关性。     

Significance of litter layer in enhancing mesofaunal abundance and microbial biomass nitrogen in sweet corn-white clover living mulch systems

Living mulch is a type of sustainable farming system that consists of cover crops planted either before or with a main crop; a living mulch is maintained as a living ground cover throughout the growing season of the main crop. Microbial biomass and abundance of mesofauna (microarthropods and enchytraeids) are important soil biological parameters in relation to soil function, plant productivity, and nutrient cycling; however, the effects of living mulch on these parameters are not fully understood. In this study we examined the effects of living mulch treatment with nitrogen fertilizer (0, 40, 160, or 200?kg?ha^?1) on the abundance of soil microarthropods (Oribatida, Mesostigmata, Prostigmata, and Collembola) and the effects of living mulch treatment on the dynamics of the soil biota (mesofauna, microarthropods, enchytraeids, and microbial biomass nitrogen) from spring to autumn. Our results showed that living mulch treatment significantly (p?p?相似文献   

Plant removal disturbance and replant mitigation effects on the abundance and diversity of low-arctic soil biota

Due to the dependence of soil organisms on plant derived carbon, disturbances in plant cover are thought to be detrimental for the persistence of soil biota. In this work, we studied the disturbance effects of plant removal and soil mixing and the mitigation effects of replanting on soil biota in a low-arctic meadow ecosystem. We set up altogether six replicate blocks, each including three randomized treatment plots, at two distinct fells at Kilpisjärvi, northern Finland. Vegetation was removed in two thirds of the plots: one third was then kept barren (the plant-removal treatment), while the other third was replanted with a local herb Solidago virgaurea. The remaining plots of intact vegetation were used as treatment comparisons. The responses of soil microbes and fauna were examined six years later in the early and late growing season. The biomass of bacteria, non-mycorrhizal fungi and mycorrhizal fungi (estimated using PLFA markers) were on average 74%, 89% and 84% lower in the plant-removal and 64%, 74% and 71% lower in the Solidago replant plots than in the intact meadow. The positive effect of replanting was statistically significant for fungi, but not for bacteria. The PCA of relative PLFA concentrations further showed that the structure of the microbial community differed significantly among all three treatments. The abundance of nematodes and collembolans was on average 82 and 95% lower, but the total number of nematode genera and collembolan taxa only 27 and 7% lower in the plant-removal plots than in the intact meadow soil. Few disturbance effects on soil fauna were significantly mitigated by the Solidago replant (the plant parasitic nematodes being a notable exception) and in the case of the collembolans, the Solidago replant plots had even fewer animals than the plant-removal plots. The response of soil biota also varied with locality: the effects on fungivorous nematodes were found at one site only and the replant effects on the number and diversity of collembolan taxa varied with site. Our results suggest that despite drastic reductions in the abundance of soil biota, the majority of animal taxa can persist for years in disturbed arctic soils in the absence of vegetation. In contrast, the alleviating replant effects on the abundance of soil biota appear weak and may only partially reverse the negative effects of vegetation removal and soil disturbance.     

Biochar effects on soil biota - A review

Soil amendment with biochar is evaluated globally as a means to improve soil fertility and to mitigate climate change. However, the effects of biochar on soil biota have received much less attention than its effects on soil chemical properties. A review of the literature reveals a significant number of early studies on biochar-type materials as soil amendments either for managing pathogens, as inoculant carriers or for manipulative experiments to sorb signaling compounds or toxins. However, no studies exist in the soil biology literature that recognize the observed large variations of biochar physico-chemical properties. This shortcoming has hampered insight into mechanisms by which biochar influences soil microorganisms, fauna and plant roots. Additional factors limiting meaningful interpretation of many datasets are the clearly demonstrated sorption properties that interfere with standard extraction procedures for soil microbial biomass or enzyme assays, and the confounding effects of varying amounts of minerals. In most studies, microbial biomass has been found to increase as a result of biochar additions, with significant changes in microbial community composition and enzyme activities that may explain biogeochemical effects of biochar on element cycles, plant pathogens, and crop growth. Yet, very little is known about the mechanisms through which biochar affects microbial abundance and community composition. The effects of biochar on soil fauna are even less understood than its effects on microorganisms, apart from several notable studies on earthworms. It is clear, however, that sorption phenomena, pH and physical properties of biochars such as pore structure, surface area and mineral matter play important roles in determining how different biochars affect soil biota. Observations on microbial dynamics lead to the conclusion of a possible improved resource use due to co-location of various resources in and around biochars. Sorption and thereby inactivation of growth-inhibiting substances likely plays a role for increased abundance of soil biota. No evidence exists so far for direct negative effects of biochars on plant roots. Occasionally observed decreases in abundance of mycorrhizal fungi are likely caused by concomitant increases in nutrient availability, reducing the need for symbionts. In the short term, the release of a variety of organic molecules from fresh biochar may in some cases be responsible for increases or decreases in abundance and activity of soil biota. A road map for future biochar research must include a systematic appreciation of different biochar-types and basic manipulative experiments that unambiguously identify the interactions between biochar and soil biota.     

Critical review of the impact of cover crops on soil properties

Grasses as well as leguminous and non-leguminous broadleaves are the major categories of commonly grown cover crops worldwide. This review focuses on the contribution of cover crops to soil properties. The review first considers the single and mixed cover crops and shows that grass species are desirable for their decay and ability to provide substantial soil cover, broadleaf species are used for their quick decomposition and capacity of releasing residues into the soil, while the leguminous species are used for their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Secondly, the impacts of cover crops on soil health are reviewed. Integrating cover crops into conventional cropping systems may reduce soil bulk density, improve soil structure and hydraulic properties to facilitate increased water infiltration and storage. Crop residue additions from cover crops may enhance soil organic C and N accretion as well as increase availability of P, K, Ca, Fe and Mg in some soil types under certain climatic conditions. Further, cover crops may provide a better condition for microbial activity, abundance, and diversity. Finally, the review shows that through proper management, cover crops may be utilized as an essential component of soil conservation practices for enhanced soil health. Still, further investigation is necessary to determine cover crop effects in additional cropping systems and climatic zones as well as the long-term effects of cover crops on soil properties, subsequent crop yield, and overall cropping system profitability. This review is an important source of information for crop growers, crop management institutions, universities, and crop consultants for sustainable agricultural production.     

Quantity and quality of organic inputs from coppicing leguminous trees influence abundance of soil macrofauna in maize crops in eastern Zambia

Soil invertebrates are the major determinants of soil processes such as organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. However, the effect of quantity and quality of organic inputs on soil biota has not been studied in agroforestry systems in southern Africa. Variations in soil macrofauna abundance under maize grown in fallows of Gliricidia sepium, Acacia anguistissima, Leucaena collinsii, Leucaena diversifolia, Leucaena esculenta, Leucaena pallida, Senna siamea, Calliandra calothyrsus and monoculture maize were assessed at three sites with contrasting agro-ecological conditions in eastern Zambia. It was hypothesised that spatial variations in soil macrofauna abundance under maize crops are mediated by heterogeneity in the quality and quantity of organic inputs produced by these legumes. The relationships between the abundance of macrofauna groups and litter, leaf, stump re-sprout and recycled biomass, stump survival and the quality index lignin (L)+polyphenol (P) to nitrogen (N) ratio were assessed using generalised linear models assuming spatial randomness (Poisson distribution) and aggregation (negative binomial distribution). Earthworms, beetles and millipedes showed spatial aggregation, which was partly explained by the heterogeneity in organic resource quantity and quality. Earthworms and beetles were more abundant under legumes that produced high quantities of biomass with low (L + P) to N ratios and species that have high stump survival after coppicing. Millipedes were favoured by species which produced high quantities of biomass with high (L + P) to N ratios. Although ants and termites showed spatial aggregation, their distributions were not influenced by the quantity or quality of biomass produced by the legumes. Centipedes and Arachnida showed spatial randomness, and their distribution was not influenced by any of the organic quality and quantity variables.     

Taxonomic and functional diversity of the soil microbiome recruited from alternative crops in a rotation system

Intensive cropping is considered to contribute to negative effects both on soil physiochemical properties and on long-term grain yield, which can be alleviated by appropriate crop rotations. The soil microbial community can vary with different crop rotations, which in turn affect soil quality and grain yield. Therefore, it is of great significance to elucidate the response of the soil microbial community to crop rotation. In this study, the structural and functional changes of microbial community in different crop rotations were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and metagenomics analysis in a field experiment. The continuous winter wheat-summer maize cropping system was the control, and three crop rotations were established in October 2016 as follows: (1) spring peanut→winter wheat-summer maize, (2) winter wheat-summer peanut→winter wheat-summer maize and (3) spring sweet potato→winter wheat-summer maize. Soil samples were collected in September 2021 for soil microbial assessment. The results showed that the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota in the soil of spring sweet potato→winter wheat-summer maize was significantly higher (15.2%) than that in the control. The relative abundance of Ascomycota was significantly higher (19.8%–23.2%) in the soil following crop rotation compared with the control. Compared with the control, spring peanut→winter wheat-summer maize enriched energy metabolism genes, and spring sweet potato→winter wheat-summer maize reduced the genes related to plant–pathogen interaction. Compared with the control, crop rotation significantly decreased the relative abundance of the inorganic phosphorus solubilization gene (gcd) and the phosphorus transport gene (upgE) and increased the abundance of organic phosphorus mineralization genes (phoA and phyA). Based on these results, we concluded that the composition of the soil microbial community and functional genes can be altered by crop rotation, and spring peanut→winter wheat-summer maize and spring sweet potato→winter wheat-summer maize had more significant effects. This study provided a reference for the selection of crop rotations in the North China Plain based on the soil microbial community and its function.     

Linkages between below and aboveground communities: Decomposer responses to simulated tree species loss are largely additive

Inputs of aboveground plant litter influence the abundance and activities of belowground decomposer biota. Litter-mixing studies have examined whether the diversity and heterogeneity of litter inputs affect decomposer communities in ways that can be predicted from monocultures. They have mainly attempted to detect non-additive effects of litter mixing, although individual species effects (additivity) as well as species interactions (non-additivity) may alter decomposition rates. To determine potential impacts of plant species loss on aboveground-decomposer linkages, we assessed both additive and non-additive effects of litter mixing on decomposer communities. A full-factorial litterbag experiment with leaves from four deciduous tree species was conducted, to assess responses of bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and microarthropods. Data were analyzed using a statistical method that first looked for additive effects based on the presence or absence of species and then any significant species interactions. We observed almost exclusively additive effects of all four litter species on decomposer biota, with each species exerting effects on different aspects of the community. These results imply that the consequences of species loss for the decomposer community will be largely predictable from knowledge of single species litter dynamics. The two species at opposite ends of the quality spectrum exerted the most effects. High-quality Liriodendron tulipifera supported a more diverse arthropod community and drove bottom-up effects on the decomposer food web. Low-quality Rhododendron maximum had negative effects on most groups of biota. Litter of mid-quality species exerted fewer effects. The influence of litter species richness on the Tylenchidae (nematodes) was the only non-additive effect of litter mixing. Together, these data demonstrate an effect of plant community composition on decomposer biomass, abundance, and diversity, confirming a link between above and belowground communities. We were able to identify the species to which the decomposer community is most sensitive, aiding predictions of the consequences of the loss of these dominant species on the decomposer community, with potential feedbacks for organic matter and nutrient turnover.     

Effects of burning on soil macrofauna in a savanna-woodland under different experimental fuel load treatments

In West African savanna-woodland, the use of prescribed burning as a management tool has ecological implications for the soil biota. Yet, the effects of fire on soil inhabiting organisms are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the responses of soil macro-invertebrates to early fires in a Sudanian savanna-woodland on a set of experimental plots subject to different fuel load treatments. The abundance of major macro-invertebrate taxa and functional groups, and taxon richness were quantified in soil cores collected from three different soil layers before and immediately after burning. The results indicated that, overall, there was substantial spatial and temporal variation in the composition of macro-invertebrate assemblages. The immediate effects of fire were to reduce total invertebrate numbers and numbers of many invertebrate groups dramatically. This is probably due to the fact that many of the surface-dwelling macrofauna perished as a result of less favorable microclimate due to fire, diminished resources, or migrate to safer environments. Fuel load treatment did not affect the community taxonomic richness or abundance of the soil-dwelling fauna. Furthermore, annual changes in community composition were more pronounced at the burnt site than in the control. This could be related to the inter-annual difference in precipitation pattern recorded during the two-year study period at our site. Since soil macrofauna population declines in fire-disturbed areas, increasing fire prevalence may jeopardize the long-term conservation of fire sensitive macrofauna groups. Special fire management attention is therefore recommended with due consideration to the type of burning and fuel properties to avoid the detrimental effects of intense fire affecting the resilience of savanna soil macrofauna species.     

Cover crops alter the soil nematode food web in banana agroecosystems

Cover crops are increasingly being used in agriculture, primarily for weed or erosion management. The addition of cover crops increases the primary productivity of the system and diversifies basal resources for higher trophic levels. How increases in the quality and quantity of basal resources affect bottom-up and top-down control remains a key question in soil food web ecology. We evaluated the response of the nematode community to the introduction of cover crops between rows of a banana plantation. We measured changes in nematode food web structure and inferred the prevalence of bottom-up and top-down effects on the abundance of phytophagous nematodes (i.e., plant-feeding and root-hair-feeding species) 1.5 years after plots with cover crops (Poaceae or Fabaceae species) or bare soil were established. The addition of a cover crop greatly affected the structure and the abundance of the soil nematode community 1.5 years after planting. The abundance of all trophic groups except for plant-feeding nematodes tended to increase with the addition of cover crops. The Shannon–Weaver diversity index and the enrichment index increased with the addition of cover crops, indicating that opportunistic, bacterivorous and fungivorous nematodes benefited from the added resources. Plant-feeding nematodes were least abundant in plots with Poaceae cover crops, while bacterivorous, omnivorous, and root-hair-feeding nematodes were more abundant with Fabaceae cover crops than with bare soil, indicating that cover crop identity or quality greatly affected soil food web structure. Bottom-up effects on all trophic groups other than plant-feeding nematodes were evident with Poaceae cover crops, suggesting an top-down control of plant-feeding nematodes by omnivorous nematodes. Conversely, plant-feeding nematodes were evidently not suppressed in Fabaceae cover crops, perhaps because bottom-up effects on omnivorous nematodes were weaker (hence, top-down control by omnivorous nematodes was weaker), and because Fabaceae cover crops probably served as good hosts for some plant-feeding nematodes.     

The influence of soil properties on denitrifying bacterial communities and denitrification potential in no-till production farms under contrasting management in the Argentinean Pampas

The aim of this work was to investigate the response of the structure, abundance and potential activity of denitrifiers to contrasting agricultural management in no-till production fields, across a regional scale within the highly productive Argentine northern Pampas. Treatment categories were grouped according to the sustainability of the soil management, in terms of crop rotation, fertilization, agrochemicals use and pest control, as good no-till agricultural practices (GAP) and poor no-till agricultural practices (PAP). Non-cultivated soils in each geographic location were also evaluated as reference groups.Mixed models, with sites treated as random factors, indicated that the potential denitrification activity and the size of the nirS community differed significantly between non-cultivated and PAP soils. Soil properties were separated into dynamic and inherent according to their variance components. The former had the largest part of their variances explained by agricultural management, while the latter were more affected by edaphic–climatic differences between sites. Both inherent and dynamic properties could explain the changes in potential denitrification activity, whereas changes in the abundance of denitrifiers were only related to inherent soil properties. Results from principal components analysis suggested site-specific response of most dynamic soil properties. Among the latter, only aggregate stability indices were strongly associated with potential denitrification activity after removing the geographical effect.     

兰州地区农田土壤速效磷与速效钾含量的变化特征

以兰州地区3县5区不同利用方式农田为研究对象,从作物种类、土地利用强度和耕作方式3个角度采集80个样点表层土壤样品(0—20cm),对其pH值、电导率、速效磷和速效钾进行了分析。结果表明:(1)兰州地区农田土壤pH值为8.59,蔬菜地pH值低于其它作物农田,但差异不显著。重度利用农田土壤pH值低于轻度和中度农田,日光温室农田pH值低于大田和砂田,但差异不显著。(2)土壤电导率具有较大的变异,变异系数高达107.31%,不同作物种类、利用强度及耕作方式下土壤电导率不具有显著差异性。(3)研究区土壤速效钾含量具有一致性,平均含量为362.65mg/kg,变异系数为48.81%,不同作物种类、不同土地利用强度和耕作方式土壤速效钾不具有显著差异性。(4)速效磷平均含量为14.07mg/kg,不同种类作物农田土壤中,蔬菜地速效磷高于其它种类作物;不同利用强度下,重度利用农田土壤速效磷高于中度和轻度农田;从耕作措施分析,日光温室农田土壤速效磷显著大于砂田和大田。研究表明,基于作物种类差异的不同土地利用方式及耕作措施对土壤酸碱性及速效磷含量具有不同程度的影响,集约型农业管理措施是导致速效磷含量增加的主要原因之一,且重度农田土壤有酸化的趋势。     

Persistence of a rare ancient cycad: Effects of environment and demography

Conservation of rare species is frequently complicated by their narrow niches and poor competitive abilities which limit their distribution to a few small populations. We studied how population size and structure of an endemic cycad of northwestern Mexico, Dioon sonorense, known to be threatened by widespread land conversion and plant extraction by humans, varied with 21 environmental variables. We also used matrix population models to show how population structure may affect its long-term persistence. Slope and soil exchangeable potassium explained a moderate proportion of the variance in the abundance of adult individuals, while abundance of adults and slope explained a large proportion of the variance in the abundance of seedlings. The strong non-linear relationships of seedling abundance with slope and adult abundance suggest threshold effects that may limit D. sonorense regeneration in less suitable environments. Modeling suggests that most of the study populations will not be viable in the long-term, except for the largest population. Modeling scenarios with large increments in fecundity and seedling survival produced modest gains in population growth. The long-term persistence of D. sonorense is shown in our study to be further threatened by: (a) small size of adult populations, (b) low-quality habitat in which most populations occur, and potentially, (c) the combined effect of low fecundity and recruitment.